Dolls have become a substantial segment of the toy industry. Having evolved from early often crude and homemade items, dolls have steadily grown in variety, complexity and play value. Notsurprisingly, practitioners in the art have responded to this long term growing popularity by producing a wide variety of dolls. Thus, dolls have been provided in a virtually endless variety and have included dolls which either participate in or simulate human-like activities of walking, talking, eating or sleeping.
In addition, dolls have also been provided which participate in activities such as swimming, skating and other sports. With the advent of miniature low cost electronic components, dolls have been fabricated which exhibit a high degree of complexity and capability. Still other dolls have been fabricated which continue to rely upon and expand the use of less sophisticated technologies such as spring-driven or pullstring-driven actions to produce surprisingly entertaining and amusing dolls.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,046 issued to Gentile, et al. sets forth a LAUNCHABLE FIGURING DEVICE having a figurine supporting wings capable of aerodynamic lift upon rotation of the figurine. A rotation imparting mechanism is releasibly mated with the figurine to provide the requisite rotational velocity for launching the figure into the air. The rotation imparting mechanism is releasibly mated with the figurine to provide the requisite rotational velocity for launching the figure into the air. The rotation imparting mechanism utilizes a rotating drum and gear drive energized by a pullstring device.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,287,328 issued to Jafferian sets forth a DOLL illustrative of an early form of twirling doll. A doll body defines an interior cavity and supports an elongated rotatable element extending head to toe of the toy figure. The rotating element supports the doll head in rotational attachment with respect to the doll body. An aperture is formed in the doll body through which a quantity of string is passed and is wound upon the rotatable element. As the user holds the doll body firmly and rapidly draws the string outwardly, the doll head is rapidly rotated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,064 issued to Lakin et al. sets forth an ACROBATIC TOY for use in child's crib or playpin. The toy includes a figure suspended from a rotatable main shaft in order to simulate acrobatic movements. The figure is suspended by a pair of arms which are fixed to the main shaft and pivotally connected to the body of the figure. The toy is hung from the crib and operated by a pull-string mechanism having a ring and cord.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,613 issued to Toplak sets forth a SPINNING TOY having a flying top and elongated lower portion for winding a string thereon. An enlarged upper portion is provided with wings for flying the top upon rapid unwinding of the string.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,935 issued to Herzog sets forth a CORD ACTUATED SPINNING TOY having a base, an elongated shaft rotatable therein and a figure supported on the upper end of the shaft. A pull-string mechanism is supported at the approximate mid point of the shaft and is used to impart a twirling action to the shaft and toy figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,829,467 issued to Pagano sets forth a TWO WHEELED GYRO CONTROLLED MOTORCYCLE having an inertial drive motor and gyro combination operated by a pull-string energizer.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,584,979 issued to Clausen sets forth a GYROSCOPIC TOY having a toy figure supporting a horizontally oriented rotatable gyroscope in a simulated skirt therein. A pull-string mechanism is operative in impart motory motion to the gyroscope causing the toy to whirl in a stablized manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,776,964 issued to Aznak et al. sets forth a TOY having a toy body rotatably supported upon a pair of feet and having a rotatably supported head. The head and feet are joined by a common shaft which includes a pull-string mechanism for imparting rotary motion to the head and feet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,889 issued to Guerrero et al. sets forth a MULTIPLE FUNCTION DOLL and U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,441 issued to Hunter et al. sets forth a MULTIPLE FUNCTION DOLL both of which utilize a pull-string motor as a moving source.
In a related art, various toys have been provided which utilize bubble production or bubble play activity as a part of their interest and appeal. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,437 issued to Vowles, et al. sets forth a BUBBLE DISENSING DOLL including a hollow torso and head configured to resemble a mermaid. The doll head supports a quantity of simulated hair and a headpiece ornament preferably formed in the configuration of a crown or the like. A battery-driven electrically powered bubble-producing mechanism is formed within the doll's head. A foaming chamber within the bubble-producing mechanism creates an upwardly directed stream of bubbles which emerge from the doll head and simulated hairpiece ornament.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,379 issued to Ho sets forth a BUBBLE-PRODUCING TOY having a handheld device comprising a handle and bubble generating means capable of producing different sizes of bubbles when being swung around through the air or having air directed against the bubble generating means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,893 issued to Routzong, et al. sets forth a BUBBLE-PRODUCING TOY which resembles a spinning baton. The toy includes a handle and cross member rotatably member on the handle. A bubble solution is stored in a hub reservoir and a bubble diffuser is attached to the outer end of the baton. As the baton is whirled the bubble diffuser creates a stream of bubbles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,693 issued to left, et al. sets forth a SWING-AROUND BUBBLE-MAKING TOY having a bubble-producing device secured to an elongated flexible cord which in turn is secured to a handle grip. As the device is held by the handle grip and twirled about the user in a circular arc, air passes through the device producing a stream of trailing bubbles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,381 issued to Danielle, et al. sets forth a BUBBLE-PRODUCING JUMPROPE having a pair of handle grips and an elongated flexible jumprope couple therebetween. A pair of bubble-producing devices a secured to intermediate portions of the flexible jumprope and produce a stream of bubbles as air passes through the bubble devices during jumprope activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,507 issued to McGhie, et al. sets forth a BICYCLE BUBBLE TOY having an elongated housing attachable to the handlebar of a bicycle to extend the housing outwardly from the handlebars. The extending housing supports a rotatable fan which in turn is coupled to a plurality of rotatable bubble-blowing rings. As the bicycle moves through the air, the passing air rotates the fan and bubble rings through a bubble solution reservoir and into the stream of passing air thereby producing bubbles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,651 issued to Shure, et al. sets forth a BUBBLE-PRODUCING SKIPPING TOY having a rod or tether supporting a circular ring at one end to loosely encircle the user's lower leg or ankle. A bubble-producing mechanism is secured to the outer end of the rod and is operative to produce bubbles when twirled about the user's leg.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have improved the art and in some instances have enjoyed commercial success, their remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore interesting, cost effective and amusing dolls which utilize a bubble-producing activity to enhance play value.